California's Governor, the former bodybuilder turned Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, will jet into London this week to add some glamour to Tony Blair's dying days in office. The two men are to discuss climate change an issue on which the Republican Mr Schwarzenegger has taken a surprisingly strong stand indicating that Mr Blair may devote his post-Downing Street life to the world's most pressing problem.
It is almost a year since the pair met in California to discuss global warming. Downing Street sources said the London meeting was "a return of the PM's visit to California". Earlier this year, the Terminator star praised the Prime Minister as a "real action hero". The Conservatives have also been courting Mr Schwarzenegger and hope he will speak at their autumn conference. But the Governor's decision to meet Mr Blair during his last days in office will be a boost to the Prime Minister, who is expected to embark on a lucrative speaking tour of America when he leaves office.
Mr Blair departs No 10 on 27 June, shortly after he has completed his final Prime Minister's Questions. He will then go to Buckingham Palace to formally tell the Queen that he is to step down. Later that afternoon, Gordon Brown will go to the Palace, where he will be invited to form a government. The French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, is touting a plan for Mr Blair to become the first full-time European Union president.
On Thursday and Friday this week, the Prime Minister will attend a crucial EU summit in Brussels where he is preparing for tough negotiations with Europe's 27 other leaders on a replacement for the failed EU constitution. Mr Blair has set down a number of "red lines" to ensure that a such a treaty would not jeopardise British interests. He is expected to resist pressure to sign up to the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, which increases the rights and privileges of workers, enshrining the right to strike. Mr Blair is expected to refuse to sign up to the charter if it is legally binding.
Instead, Whitehall officials are looking at compromise proposals to water down the measure and give Britain an opt-out. The move, which could lead to a deal, is expected to infuriate Eurosceptics who will accuse Britain of designing a "fudge" and giving in to pressure from other EU leaders. Britain also does not want to give up its control over which criminal justice issues it can negotiate.
Mr Sarkozy is expected to offer support to the UK at the summit. On Tuesday, before the summit, Mr Blair meets the French Pr*esident to discuss the negotiations. The Tories are to increase calls for a referendum on the transfer of more powers to Brussels and the signing of a new treaty reforming the EU. They will resist any attempts to do a deal with Britain's European neighbours over a new EU rights charter.
(By Marie Woolf, The Independet, 17/06/2007)
